How to catch Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
As always, there is a mechanic built into the game to significantly increase your chances of capturing a Pokémon Shiny. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, this is Mass Appearances.
What is a Shiny or Chromatic Pokémon?
Before talking about the different capture methods, we need to define what we are talking about. The Pokémon Shinys, or Chromatic in French, are Pokémon with unusual colours. Capturing them is the goal of a lifetime for some players. They are identical in every way to normal Pokémon in terms of their stats and attacks, but it is their rarity that makes them highly sought after by collectors.
A normal Triopikeau
A Triopikeau Shiny
Every time you come across a wild Pokémon, you have 1 chance out of 4096 that it is Shiny. So you won't come across one every day. Most players have never even had one.
Since Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are open-world games where you can directly see Pokémon walking around in the wild, it is possible to identify whether a Pokémon is shiny or not without having to start a battle. However, unlike previous versions, Shinys no longer make a noise to let you know they are there.
Be careful, however, don't confuse Pokémon Shiny with Pokémon Teracristal. Shiny Pokémon do not glow, unlike to Pokémon Teracristal. They are therefore much more difficult to spot in the wild.
Some advice before you go hunting for Shiny
Before explaining the different methods of hunting Shiny, here are some general remarks and advice to avoid waste of time and disappointment.
- Disable automatic backup
The game saves regularly, especially after fights. If you have a Shiny in front of you, save manually before starting the fight. This way you can try again if you fail.
- Starters and Legends are Shiny Lock
The Shiny Lock means that Pokémon can never be Shiny. There is no need to restart a game until you get a Shiny Starter or reload the console in front of the Pokémon Legends. However, you can obtain Starter Shiny via reproduction.
- Automatic combat does not attack Shiny
If you use the R key to send your Pokémon into battle, it will not automatically attack Shiny Pokémon. This is useful for the Mass Appearance method.
Mass Appearances and Shinys
As mentioned in the introduction, the best way to catch a Shiny Pokémon is to use Mass Appearances. Regularly during your travels in Paldea, you will receive a notification that a Mass Appearance has begun. You can find them on your map by looking for this icon, associated with a Pokémon portrait:
This means that a very large number of said Pokémon will appear in a steady stream at this location. Go there to start the method.
The method is actually very simple: you will have to chain automatic fights against the Pokémon of Massive Appearance. Just press the R button and watch the show. You can run regular battles, but it takes a lot longer.
For the first 20-30 Massive Appearance Pokémon defeated (or captured), you increase your chances by 1 that the next Pokémon to appear is Shiny. Beat 20-30 more, and you will increase your chances by 2.
Well then, let's agree, 3 chances out of 4096This is still low, but it's more like you've tripled your chances of getting a Shiny Pokémon! Pokémon reappear very quickly in Mass Appearances, and each appearance of a Pokémon is a new roll to determine if a Pokémon is Shiny or not, making it the fastest method of chaining battles.
You'll need a Pokémon that is strong enough to handle all these battles without getting too tired. Choose a Pokémon that is at least 10 levels higher than the Pokémon in the Zone, and that has a type advantage over your target.
The Masuda Method
The Masuda Method is an alternative method of obtaining Shiny Pokémon, this time by reproduction. This is an official method confirmed by Junichi Masuda, the producer of the Pokémon license, hence the name. This method was created to encourage exchanges between players from different countries and has been present in the game since the appearance of online modes.
The method consists of breeding two compatible Pokémon from different countries. The chances of the Pokémon in the egg being Shiny are then doubled.
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, reproduction is extremely fast. In addition, it is no longer necessary to hatch eggs to see if they contain a Shiny. In fact, the picnic basket will glow if a Pokémon Shiny egg has been placed in it.
Increase the chances of meeting a Shiny
The Chromatic Charm
If you are successful in completing the Paldea PokédexIf you catch all 400 Pokémon available in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you will get the Chromatic Charm. It doubles your chances of encountering a Shiny PokémonThis is the case in all conditions.
This means that by using the Massive Appearance method, you gain 2 extra chances for each tier.
The Chromatic Aura and the Egg Aura
By drawing up your picnic tableYou can make sandwiches. Far from being trivial, some sandwiches increase your chances of encountering Shiny Pokémon. Before starting a Shiny chance, we recommend making one. Its effect lasts for a while.
If you are looking to get a Shiny by reproduction, consider deploying the Egg Aura in addition to the Chromatic Aura.
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